Sustainable Innovations Challenge

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I embarked on the Sustainable Innovation Challenge to push the boundaries of what's possible in sustainability. As an innovator and clean tech advocate, I set a personal goal to create one new sustainability-focused innovation concept every single day. This wasn’t just a creative exercise—it was a form of mental endurance, inspired by my background as a marathon runner and Ironman finisher. I wanted to challenge the repetitive nature of innovation in today’s world, bringing fresh ideas to the table daily.

Over the course of a year, I developed over 300 concepts aimed at solving real-world problems and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. While I didn’t reach my original goal of 365, the challenge didn’t end when the year was up—I’m continuing this journey, driven by the belief that sustainable innovation can be a game-changer for our future. I hope my story inspires others to think creatively and act boldly in the fight for a sustainable world.

I started the Sustainable Innovation Challenge on May 24, 2023.

The inspiration for the Sustainable Innovation Challenge came from recognizing the urgent need to rethink how we approach innovation, particularly in sustainability. With the world at a critical crossroads, I felt compelled to act after seeing a study highlighting the paradox of growing knowledge but fewer disruptive breakthroughs. My background in endurance sports like marathons and Ironmans, along with my experience in sustainable innovation—from R&D to collaborating with various innovation ecosystems—motivated me to create this challenge. It pushes my creativity to its limits while contributing to real-world solutions, fostering a culture of sustainable innovation, collaboration, and impactful change.

I maintain a record of my daily innovation concepts on my Instagram account (@juliadaviy), as well as in my Evernote and Google Drive for consistency. Posting the concepts on my website typically requires a bit more time.

Design thinking and systems thinking are the foundation of my innovation process, fostering empathy and iterative problem-solving. Conversations with clean tech professionals, Berkeley Haas colleagues, and my diverse background—from pioneering some innovative projects to co-founding green startups—constantly fuel new ideas. My work, ranging from developing portable solar chargers to building a platform for the digital delivery of physical goods, blends creativity with sustainability. By combining design and systems thinking, I transform everyday experiences into actionable concepts that push the boundaries of what's possible in sustainable innovation.

Sustainability isn't just my professional focus—it's deeply personal. A decade ago, I took on a one-year challenge to live the most eco-friendly lifestyle possible. This experience revealed numerous pain points and untapped market opportunities, leading me to create my own line of organic clothing. That journey ultimately paved the way for my innovations in sustainable 3D-printed fashion and fully digital supply chains and delivery (something that we tried to implement in Imageneria).